Latin America and the Caribbean Past Programs

Bolivia

Political Party Strengthening

From 2004-2009, NDI helped political parties and organizations adopt democratic, transparent and responsive practices as established under Bolivian law. In addition to various citizen and indigenous groups, participating political organizations included Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Fearless Movement (MSM), Plan Progress (PP), Democratic and Social Power (PODEMOS) and National Unity (UN).

In 2006, through three public candidate debates prior to the constituent assembly elections, 10 parties and citizen groups, including MAS, MNR, PODEMOS and UN, debated substantive policy issues. The parties of the leading presidential candidates in the 2005 general elections, including MAS, MNR, PODEMOS and UN, presented their parties’ economic proposals for discussion at a series of NDI-organized events.

As part of the Program for Regional Party Renewal (PREPA), from 2003-2005 NDI used participatory training methodologies to prepare 40 party trainers from eight parties, including Nationalist Democratic Action (ADN), MAS, Pachakuti Indigenous Movement (MIP), MIR, MNR, MSM, Christian Democrat Party (PDC) and UN. These trainers replicated the training on the topics of internal democracy, transparency and outreach to new sectors with members of their parties.

From 2000-2003 and in 2007, NDI engaged 31 Bolivian youth party members in its regional Political Leadership Program. Participants represented ADN, Free Bolivia Movement (MBL), MAS, MIR, MNR, New Republican Force (NFR), PODEMOS, Civic Solidarity Union (UCS) and UN. This program sought to strengthen the leadership skills and ability of emerging political leaders to promote the modernization and renewal of political parties. The one-year program began with an intensive leadership development seminar, and it continued in-country with the emerging leaders implementing party-strengthening projects.

Responding to party requests for technical assistance, in 1993 NDI conducted an international seminar on political party legislation pertaining to the topics of party fundraising, constitutional recognition of political parties and internal party democratization.

Political Parties and Poverty

Troubling levels of inequality and poverty affect a large percentage of the Bolivian population, presenting challenges to democratic institutions. In both 2004 and 2007, NDI conducted two assessments on the incentives for Bolivian political parties to pursue poverty reduction strategies. NDI used the assessment findings to facilitate dialogue between political and civic actors in six Bolivian departments on poverty reduction.

Women’s Political Participation

From 2008-2009, in collaboration with local Bolivian partners, NDI conducted a national series of multiparty women’s leadership workshops to prepare and empower women for successful political participation and potential public office candidacy.

In partnership with the Simon Bolivar Andean University, NDI conducted a political leadership training academy in 2007 for 35 emerging women leaders to strengthen their ability to effectively engage in politics as well as to promote a network of politically active women leaders. Participants represented a broad range of civil society groups and political parties.

In 2004, NDI implemented a nationwide women’s leadership school, Winning with Women, which trained more than 2,000 women on political leadership skills, responsible municipal management practices and campaign strategies for the 2004 municipal elections.

Citizen Dialogue

Through a series of community workshops in Cochabamba, La Paz and Santa Cruz, NDI worked to strengthen cross-sector dialogue between civil society, indigenous groups, political parties and elected officials regarding democratic development and reform issues. Workshop participants contributed to constructive dialogue and consensus building regarding community concerns.

Brazil

Participatory Budgets

NDI began working in Brazil in 1986 when NDI and the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany responded to requests from leaders of Brazil’s National Congress to conduct a program on legislative oversight of the budget process. The 1986 Brazilian congress was charged with drafting a new constitution that was eventually adopted in late 1988. The NDI and SUNY program was conducted in collaboration with the Pedrose Hora Foundation (Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, PMDB) and the Tancredo Neves Institute (Liberal Front Party, PFL), and helped legislators develop a constitutional structure for the adoption of federal budgets.

In May 2000, NDI brought representatives from Mozambican civic groups to Brazil to study civic participation and municipal government structures. In Porto Alegre, the delegation attended a Participatory Budget Council session where citizen delegates debated the 2000 budget and voted for budget priorities. In Fortaleza, the Mozambican delegation studied examples of public-partnership cooperation both at the municipal and state levels, including a citizen's forum created by entrepreneurs. A national seminar was conducted upon return to Mozambique, and participants shared experiences and examined ways to apply the lessons learned. NDI has also used Brazilian trainers for programs in Angola and Mozambique on constitutional development, constituent relations, local government and political party building.

Regional Political Leadership Program

In 2001, NDI worked with young leaders from the PMDB, Brazilian Worker’s Party (PT), Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), PFL and the Brazilian Progressive Party (PPB) in the regional Political Leadership Program. This program sought to strengthen the leadership skills and ability of emerging political leaders to promote the modernization and renewal of political parties. The one-year program began with an intensive leadership development seminar and continued in-country with the emerging leaders implementing party-strengthening projects. The Brazilian projects addressed youth outreach, municipal government reform and political reform.

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.